Rolling Stone UK

Rolling Stone magazine has been shaping the way generations of readers have engage with music, entertainment and current affairs for over 55 years. Since it was founded by publisher Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph Gleason in San Francisco in 1967, it has launched the careers of rock stars and writers, saluted screen actors and charted the rise (and fall) of pop icons and Presidents.

CONTRIBUTORS ISSUE 026 • Inside Rolling Stone

MUSIC SOOTHES OUR SOULS IN TROUBLED TIMES

Rolling Stone

OPENING ACT

WORTH THE WAIT • As Avatar: Fire and Ash is released, Sam Worthington talks to Rolling Stone UK about James Cameron’s astonishing vision behind the saga that’s been nearly two decades in the making

SIMON COWELL ‘IT’S KINDER TO BE CLEAR TO SOMEONE WHO HAS ZERO TALENT’ • The music exec and reality-show veteran reflects on his triumphs and tragedies

10 ARTISTS TO WATCH IN 2026 • Refresh your playlist for 2026 by adding these soon-to-be stars

ETHAN HAWKE: MY LIFE IN SEVEN ROLES • The actor is earning Emmy and Oscar buzz with his two latest projects. Here are the big parts that honed his skills

WESTSIDE COWBOY ‘WE WANT PEOPLE TO SLOT INTO – AND NOT DISRUPT – THE COWBOY MAGIC’ • The four-piece reflect on the incredible year they’ve had, explain what their selfinvented genre Britainicana means, and how destressing helps them make their best music

THE STATE OF RAP BEEF IN THE MUSIC BIZ • After a year full of hip-hop rivalries, are they the key to marketing music, or do they run the risk of ruining the culture?

ACCESS TO THE ICONS OF TODAY • A year of print magazine mailed directly to your door. A year of E-edition delivered right to your inbox.

NO LIMITS • As 21st-century pop icons BTS prepare for lift-off following an enforced hiatus for military service, its youngest member Jung Kook reflects on his journey from maknae to solo artist, shares the self-care routine that keeps him sane, and reveals how his spell away from music stoked his passion for it once more

FAMILY VALUES • Wakefield’s finest, The Cribs, discuss finally expressing themselves fully on their ninth studio record, Selling a Vibe, how a legal battle almost ended the band, and their enduring brotherly bond

SCRATCHING THE ITCH • Scottish singer/songwriter Katie Malco on how her passion for performing drives her to tour the world. Every show played, whether it’s to five people or 5,000, teaches her something about her artistry, while touring life off-stage keeps things interesting…

DANGEROUS DREAMER • Seven years after his last English-language release, Mika returns with new album, Hyperlove. Here, the “created by the UK” artist reveals the method behind his melodies

Voices Of The Year • The Artists And Entertainers Who Met The Moment

LADY GAGA • How she returned from the brink, found love, and made one of her greatest albums

POP CULTURE’S LAST STAND • Turbulent Trump politics aside, Rolling Stone US reflects on how pop culture reached peak panic mode in 2025

CLIPSE • Their reunion proved that rap isn’t just a young man’s game

BAD BUNNY • From a chart-topping album to a history-making residency, the Puerto Rican artist has no ceiling

FKA TWIGS • The genre-blending musician found a new sound all her own

JOE BUDDEN • A podcaster who covers rap, culture and now politics like no other

SETH ROGEN And EVAN GOLDBERG • The duo reminded us why we love showbiz

RYAN COOGLER • The filmmaker offered his take on American history – and put his stamp on today

COLE ESCOLA • How a Tony-winning playwright took Broadway over the top

TREY PARKER And MATT STONE • The South Park creators are saving democracy one dick joke at a time

RACHEL...